Pure Brightness Day falls around April 5th every year. Traditionally, this is an occasion for people to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. In recent years, many people have also been going to the tombs of the revolutionary martyrs to pay their respects. At this time of year the weather has begun to turn warm, and the earth is once again covered with green. People live to go to the outskirts of cities to walk on the grass, fly kites and appreciate the beauty of spring. That is why Pure Brightness Day is sometimes also called "Walking amid Greenery Day."
Last Thursday I went to my weekly Chinese language lesson with Mr. Tian interested in a schedule change. I was aware that we would be having an extended break coming up that weekend and wanted to know what our revised schedule would look like. Following our lessons which always include, pronunciation, intonation, memorization, and written language, my questions were answered. I was excited to learn that because of the “Pure Brightness” celebration of Chinese ancestors all university officials had a three day weekend ahead.
Of course, I did not believe that I was entitled to this holiday due to the fact that I did not even know that it existed before Mr. Tian informed me that I was going to have it! Nonetheless, I was excited to be able to have a nice, long break.
Finishing the week on Friday, due to the holiday (I usually teach on Saturdays too) I was getting set to teach my 7:00 class as usual. Mr. Tian called me at 4:45 to inform me that we had a visitor and I was invited to another state dinner at Rongchang’s premier hotel. The occasion: meeting a new / old friend of Southwest University: Angela.
At our dinner we were fortunate to be able to meet this wonderfully intelligent, fluent, and interesting person. Angela has been living in China for over 4 years now after several shorter stints in China. Her time in China has included periods of in the Peace Corps, teaching at Southwest University, and now living in her life in Tibet. While in China Anglea has picked up Putonghua exceptionally well.
Thus she was able to converse at normal speed in Chinese with our Chinese department heads at Southwest University. This was extremely interesting to see for Cory and myself. Overall, I am excited to continue working hard to improve my Chinese. It will also be a great task for me to overtake while living here this summer without Cory’s help!The auspice for the weekend was good after this wonderful meal and early start to the weekend. On Sunday night Cory and I were taken out to a celebratory dinner with Mr. Tian and his family at a wonderful hotpot restaurant. I admit that I was actually a little saddened by this wonderful, but alas expected gesture.
I had hoped to be able to take Mr. Tian and his wife out for a dinner that I actually had planned to pay for! I am sure that Mr. Tian knew all along that Sunday his family would be having this wonderful feast; however, he agreed to the date ahead of time with me for the meal. I must still be a little naïve to think that Mr. Tian is going to go easily to a meal that I actually am paying for!
Nonetheless, the meal was phenomenal. The atmosphere was also festive as many other Chinese families were at the restaurant also celebrating the festival together. Overall, I was toasted by every family member as well as Cory and Mr. Tian on many occasions! I was also offered many cigarettes.
This experience is becoming not so novel for me and at times a little disconcerting since I have always abstained from cigarette smoking. However, I try to remember to be culturally relative in my understanding of norms. Sharing and gift giving is very important in Chinese culture. Therefore, it is important to refrain from being overly enigmatic towards something. Therefore, I always try to explain why I do not smoke. If this actually helps clarify things to my Chinese peers I do not know.
Yesterday, I was very pleased again to visit the Lou Guangshan Mountain which is home to the Buddhist temple I visited last month with bryan Tian. Cory and some Chinese friends were very lucky to be able to visit the mountain when no other visitors were around. It was a treat to be on the mountain when it was extremely peaceful all around us. One of my Buddhist Chinese friends showed me the prayer ritual. I was extremely interested and enjoyed learning how this is done.As for my teaching, I am really enjoying reaching engaged students. I am thinking long and hard about my future after China. It is becoming more likely in my mind that I might not want to teach high school students in America. Due to the large inconsistencies in student engagement I feel that I may constantly feel as if I am trying to make my students “happy” or “enjoy” the information. This feeling I never get here in China. In this way, I am contemplating many interesting alternatives. Such as working in the U.S. Foreign Service, getting a master’s in Chinese language, teaching longer in China, teaching in another foreign country, getting a masters or Ph.D. in America, going into business, etc. As I continue to mull around future options for my life I am reminded constantly about being thankful for my experience here in China.
One recent past time activity which I am re discovering is drawing. I was fortunate enough to be invited to learn Chinese calligraphy last week. At this meeting, I witnessed the beauty and essence of artwork again. Re-invigorated I have taken to drawing in some of my free time.
I am also extremely engaged in my autobiography on Gandhi and the Brothers Karamazov. Ghandi has such interesting beliefs on truth. A few notes on Gandhi. I am continuing to marvel at Gandhi’s strict moral guidelines he lived by. However, Gandhi has alluded that he did not believe in God which I am continuing to want to read further into to delve into his uniquely synthesized Vaishnava religious views. Gandhi was also a pragmatist who recognized western prudent thoughts and proper applications of them.
Gandhi believed in applying usefully pieces of western thought especially in medicine and dieting. Without his time spent in Britain his unique vegetarian application might have never been as thoroughly developed. He also witnessed the slow deterioration of his father to a fistula. He even recognized and admitted that the community elders were wrong in recommending that Gandhi’s father not have surgery performed on the easily fixed problem. Thus he had to witness his father’s bed side death. One of the affects of this experience was Gandhi’s recognition that sometimes the elders were wrong. Gandhi did not falter in standing up to community elders at points in his life. Admittedly a shy man, Gandhi defied his caste elders and set out to England against their will.
I am continuing to enjoy my life here every day! A couple more wonderful meals were shared with my Chinese friends. All meals were on the “house”, so to speak. It is going to make my efforts at recompense all the more challenging! Luckily, I am up to the challenge. Two days ago I completed my best mile time to date. A seven minute mile for the first eleven has been one of my goals for running! I am very blessed. Thank you for all of your correspondences with me. They always make my day and I enjoy writing back to you all!Best
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